The present invention relates to a dietary supplement, and more particularly, to a dietary supplement for preventing or alleviating the discomfort associated with mild-to-moderate chronic venous insufficiency of the lower extremities.
Presently, there are millions of people around the world who suffer from mild-to-moderate chronic venous insufficiency of the legs. This common condition is characterised by an inadequacy of the venous circulation to return blood from the legs to the heart. The lack of adequate venous return results in venous stasis and an increased pressure within the venous circulation, promoting the development of oedema and tissular water retention.
Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a functional disorder caused by persistent inadequacy of the venous return and is characterised clinically by oedema, skin changes and subjective complaints such as tired, heavy legs, pain or tingling sensations, which are typically amplified by standing upright and by high ambient temperatures. This dysfunction may be a source of major distress with a significant negative impact on the patient""s overall well-being and quality of life. Early stages (grade I) are characterised by coronal phlebectasia paraplantaris, subfascial congestion and oedema; grade II CVI is associated with low-grade skin changes, eczema and lipodermatosclerosis. If untreated, grades I and II often progress to an advanced stage characterised by recurrent venous leg ulcers (grade III). The stress caused by the symptoms, even when relatively mild initially, and the risk of later complications call for appropriate supportive and preventive measures to be initiated in the early stages of CVI.
Although some patients, even at early stages, might require surgery (sclerotherapy and variceal surgery), the use of compression stockings with or without additional physiotherapy is the most common treatment approach. The effect of compression is merely mechanical, i.e. this approach does not affect or correct the related biological dysfunction (capillary fragility in particular). Furthermore, the treatment with compression stockings often lacks compliance because of cosmetic concerns and the overall inconvenience of the compressive stockings, in the summer in particular. Therefore there is an urgent need for alternative approaches that are effective, well-tolerated and more convenient.
Surprisingly, it has been found that an aqueous extract of red vine leaves can be used for the preparation of a dietary supplement for the prevention and treatment of the discomfort associated with mild-to-moderate chronic venous insufficiency of the lower extremities.
The present invention therefore relates to a method for preventing and/or alleviating the discomfort associated with mild-to-moderate chronic venous insufficiency of the lower extremities, which method comprises administering a dietary supplement containing an aqueous extract of red vine leaves.
Another aspect of the present invention is a dietary supplement composition which comprises an active principle being capable of preventing and/or treating the discomfort associated with mild-to-moderate chronic venous insufficiency of the lower extremities and an pharmaceutically, cosmetically or dietetically acceptable carrier, the improvement wherein is that said active principle essentially consists of an aqueous extract of red vine leaves.
The dietary supplement composition of the present invention preferably consists of herbal ingredients derived by an aqueous extraction from red vine leaves (folia vitis viniferae; Extractum Vitis viniferae e folium spissum et siccum) and an acceptable carrier. This extract contains flavon(ol)-glycosides, -glucuronides and flavonoids, with quercetin-3-O-xcex2-D-glucuronide and isoquercitrin (quercetin-3-Oxcex2-glucoside) as its main active ingredients. The range of their pharmacological actions has not yet been fully elucidated, but in-vitro studies indicate that they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and that they inhibit platelet aggregation and hyaluronidase and reduce oedema, possibly by reducing capillary permeability. Preclinical in-vivo experiments demonstrated anti-inflammatory and capillary wall thickening effects.